The present invention is directed to a reflective pavement marker without a housing or exterior shell. The reflective members are embedded in the housingless body itself The marker can be both abrasion and impact resistant. the present invention is also directed for a method of making housingless reflective pavement marker. A reflective pavement marker can be mounted on highways to serve as perimeter, center and lane marker.
The reflective pavement marker generally requires a housing or plastic shell that act as a protective casing and to enclose the resinous filler material to form the body of the marker. The reflective member can be made up of many individual light reflecting elements or cells on the inner surface of the reflective member of the housing. the reflective member gives nighttime visibility of the marker by reflecting the headlights of oncoming traffic. A marker with a housing can be expensive, due to the thermoplastic material required to form a housing and the additional manufacturing steps required to form a marker with a housing.
Additionally, a housing is subject to deterioration, cracking and breakage due to vehicular impact and environmental influences. A cracked or broken housing can permit water to come into contact with the reflective elements. Water can have a damaging effect on the reflective elements.
Water and environmental exposure can result in etching and destruction of the reflective elements.
Previously a solution has been made by developing a housingless marker made of thermoplastic material that is subject to deterioration due to abrasion and the tendency to being dislodged from pavement surface due to incombatibility with the adhesive material used to aglutinate such marker on the pavement surface.
Thus, a need exist for an inexpensive, functional reflective pavement marker that solves the problem of housing and subsequent distruction of the reflective elements deterioration due to abrasion and environmental influences.